# Italy draws wealthy Chinese property buyers with lifestyle ­and flat tax - **Source:** EdgeProp Singapore - **Published:** 2026-10-01T04:00:00.000Z - **Author:** Cheryl Arcibal - **Original:** https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/italy-draws-wealthy-chinese-property-buyers-lifestyle-and-flat-tax - **Topics:** Government & Policy, Transactions & Deals, Regional Markets ## Featured rationale Tax incentives, lifestyle appeal and wealth-diversification demand signal potentially stronger Asian participation, which could support transactions in Italy’s prime residential and luxury destination markets. ## AI summary Italian prime residential sales rose about 140% year on year in the first eight months of 2026, while Chinese buyer enquiries more than tripled q-o-q in 2Q2026. ## Original article Italy is becoming a magnet for wealthy property investors thanks to its high quality of life and flat tax regime, and interest is also on the rise among mainland Chinese and Hong Kong buyers, property agents said. Rome introduced a flat tax regime nine years ago to attract high-net-worth individuals, with foreign residents allowed to make a flat annual tax payment of EUR300,000 ($434,700) on all their overseas income under the scheme’s latest rules. This has become a draw for wealthy investors. The number of participants in the scheme has risen from about 3,000 in 2024 to roughly 5,000 currently, according to Knight Frank. Read also: [UPDATED] ANALYSIS: The 60% ABSD shifted foreign buyers’ preference The property consultancy has also seen a surge in the number of prime residential properties sold in Italy, with deals in the first eight months of the year up by about 140% compared with the same period in 2025. The buyers are currently mainly from countries including the UK, US, Switzerland, France, India and the Netherlands, noted Knight Frank. But “interest in Italy is growing” among Hong Kong and mainland Chinese buyers as well, said Anna Ward, the firm’s international residential research lead. For Hong Kong and mainland buyers, the tax considerations are a major attraction, though “lifestyle, diversification and long-term wealth preservation tend to be more important considerations”, Ward added. About one-third of the prospective Italian property deals Knight Frank had in the pipeline for the autumn period were linked to tax-related relocations, the consultancy said in a separate report. Demand for Italian real estate was also coming from European second-home buyers, as well as international owners seeking to expand their existing Italian holdings across additional destinations, agents said. “Italy’s flat tax regime … continues to attract globally mobile wealth, with over 60% of prime international enquiries through Knight Frank now driven primarily by tax considerations,” Knight Frank said. Read also: Evolving demographics of international property investors in Singapore “This reflects a broader evolution in demand, from the introduction of the flat tax, through post-Covid lifestyle shifts, to the removal of favourable tax regimes elsewhere such as in the UK.” Many non-EU residents relocating to Italy under the flat-tax regime also require visa arrangements, with relocation often going hand in hand with property acquisition and broader investment activity, according to Knight Frank. The visa is open to non-EU citizens investing in Italian businesses, innovative start-ups, government bonds or philanthropic initiatives. Entry thresholds start at EUR250,000. Other real estate brokers also expect more buyers from mainland China, Hong Kong and the wider Asia Pacific region to snap up Italian property assets. Buyer enquiries for Italian real estate more than tripled in the second quarter of the year, compared with the preceding three months, according to property tech firm Juwai IQI, which has seven million property listings across 111 countries. In the first half of 2026, Italy received the 14th highest number of inquiries from prospective Chinese buyers — ranking between Spain and Vietnam — said Kashif Ansari, Juwai IQI co-founder and group CEO. Read also: Despite cooling measures and interest rate hikes, luxury condo purchases by foreigners back at pre-pandemic levels: OrangeTee & Tie The top three were Thailand, Australia and the UK, he added. “We expect the number of Chinese living and buying residences in Italy to climb in 2027,” Ansari said. “At the top end, the flat tax and residency options are attractive. The Italian market is rising and luxury Italian lifestyle destinations are attracting Asia’s wealthy.” “Chinese workers find opportunities in Italy’s economy, and nearly one-third of new residency permits going to Chinese citizens are for the purpose of studying in Italy,” Ansari added. “The Chinese are the largest non-EU group at Italian universities.” An estimated 290,000 Chinese citizens live in Italy, the fourth largest non-EU community in the country, he said. “Their numbers are climbing rapidly, by up to 8% per year,” Ansari said. For Lisbon-headquartered Maia Properties, wealthy buyers are looking at Europe as a whole and picking the best base that suits their lifestyle and tax needs. Although Chinese demand for Italian property is still an “emerging trend”, Luiz Felipe Maia, CEO and founder of the real estate broker, said “there is significant room for it to grow”. ## Chinese translation > Translation model: openai_codex_cli ### 意大利以生活方式和统一税吸引富裕中国房地产买家 寻求生活方式和财富多元化的中国内地和香港买家，对意大利房地产的兴趣正在增长。 房地产代理表示，凭借高生活质量和统一税制度，意大利正成为富裕房地产投资者的磁石，而中国内地和香港买家的兴趣也在上升。 罗马九年前推出统一税制度以吸引高净值人士，根据该计划的最新规则，外国居民可就其所有海外收入每年缴纳 300,000 欧元（434,700 新元）的统一税款。 这已成为吸引富裕投资者的因素。根据 Knight Frank 的数据，该计划的参与人数已从 2024 年的约 3,000 人增加至目前约 5,000 人。 另读：[更新] 分析：60% ABSD 改变了外国买家的偏好 该房地产咨询公司还看到意大利优质住宅物业成交数量激增，今年前八个月的交易较 2025 年同期增加约 140%。 Knight Frank 指出，买家目前主要来自英国、美国、瑞士、法国、印度和荷兰等国家。但该公司国际住宅研究负责人 Anna Ward 表示，香港和中国内地买家对意大利的“兴趣正在增长”。 Ward 补充说，对香港和内地买家而言，税务考量是一大吸引力，不过“生活方式、多元化和长期财富保值往往是更重要的考量”。 该咨询公司在另一份报告中表示，Knight Frank 秋季期间管线中约三分之一的意大利房地产潜在交易，与税务相关搬迁有关。 代理表示，意大利房地产需求也来自欧洲第二住宅买家，以及希望在更多目的地扩大其现有意大利持有物业的国际业主。 Knight Frank 表示：“意大利的统一税制度……继续吸引全球流动财富，目前通过 Knight Frank 提出的优质国际询盘中，超过 60% 主要由税务考量驱动。” 另读：新加坡国际房地产投资者人口结构的演变 “这反映出需求的更广泛演变，从统一税的推出，到后疫情时代生活方式转变，再到英国等其他地区优惠税制的取消。” 根据 Knight Frank 的说法，许多根据统一税制度迁往意大利的非欧盟居民也需要办理签证安排，而搬迁往往与房地产购置和更广泛的投资活动同步进行。 该签证向投资意大利企业、创新初创公司、政府债券或慈善项目的非欧盟公民开放。入门门槛从 250,000 欧元起。 其他房地产经纪也预计，更多来自中国内地、香港和更广泛亚太地区的买家将抢购意大利房地产资产。 根据房地产科技公司 Juwai IQI 的数据，今年第二季度意大利房地产买家询盘较前三个月增加超过两倍，该公司在 111 个国家拥有 700 万个物业挂牌。 Juwai IQI 联合创始人兼集团首席执行官 Kashif Ansari 表示，2026 年上半年，意大利收到来自潜在中国买家的询盘数量排名第 14 位，位于西班牙和越南之间。 另读：尽管有降温措施和加息，外国人购买豪华公寓恢复至疫情前水平：OrangeTee & Tie 他补充说，前三位分别是泰国、澳大利亚和英国。 Ansari 表示：“我们预计 2027 年在意大利生活和购买住宅的中国人数量将上升。”“在高端市场，统一税和居留选项具有吸引力。意大利市场正在上升，意大利豪华生活方式目的地正在吸引亚洲富人。” Ansari 补充说：“中国工人在意大利经济中找到机会，而近三分之一发放给中国公民的新居留许可，是为了在意大利学习。”“中国人是意大利大学中最大的非欧盟群体。” 他表示，估计有 290,000 名中国公民居住在意大利，是该国第四大非欧盟社群。Ansari 表示：“他们的人数正在快速上升，每年增幅最高可达 8%。” 对于总部位于里斯本的 Maia Properties 来说，富裕买家正把欧洲作为一个整体来看待，并选择最符合其生活方式和税务需求的最佳基地。 尽管中国人对意大利房地产的需求仍是一个“新兴趋势”，但该房地产经纪公司首席执行官兼创始人 Luiz Felipe Maia 表示，“它有很大的增长空间”。